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VFK Straw Hat Quest 2012
Description April is Straw Hat month! Any Mad Hatter can tell you that woven straw hats are always in style! This enduring type of hat, crafted for the warm summer months, can vary from a beautiful work of art to a loosely woven hat designed only to provide shade for the wearer. Straw hats have changed so little over time that in most cases, hat styles that appeared in ancient paintings would not be out of fashion today. On today's quest, we will take a look at the durable and stylish straw hat! Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and a Tropical Straw Hat! Prizes Questions 1. Straw hats are hats woven from plant fibers and manufactured in a similar way to felt hats. One interesting reference to hats and hatters is the expression, "Mad as a hatter." In 19th century hat making, the use of a toxic substance in the hat making process meant that hatters were often exposed to this substance. What was the toxic substance? * Mercury * Asbestos * Lead * Marshmallow 2. Mercury poisoning, still known today as 'Mad Hatter's disease', was known to have affected the nervous systems of hatters. Exposure to the compounds caused them to tremble and appear crazy. Go to King Arthur's Round Table Room in Medieval Age, and say: "I am mad about hats!" 3. The most popular straw hat of all time is the Panama hat; however Panama hats are not made in Panama. They are made in a South American country that exports its hat to the Isthmus of Panama! Because people bought them in Panama, they called them Panama hats and the name stuck! In what country are authentic Panama hats made? * Argentina * Chile * Ecuador * Peru 4. The story of the Panama hat starts in Cadeate, a coastal town in Ecuador. Straw for the hats comes from a plant called toquilla, (Carludovica palmata). The plant, a wild palm-like plant about ten feet tall can only be harvested five days in every lunar cycle. Go to Audubon's Dark Forest in Western Age and say: "Do you like my hat?" 5. To harvest the plants, families use machetes to cut the slender new four-foot-high stalks, containing one immature frond each. Each family is limited to a daily quota of 1200 stalks. This limit is controlled by the village council. The monthly harvest is scheduled for the five days after the moon is in its waning quarter. Why is it restricted to this time period? * Evil spirits are thought to inhabit the fronds at other times * The straw holds less moisture at this time * The time doesn't conflict with any other harvest * There is no real reason, it is arbitrary 6. Because the straw contains less moisture at this time, it is lighter, easier to harvest and more pliable to weave. Next, the straw is prepared by removing the outer covering of each stalk. The inner fingers are split into three foot long ribbons which are then boiled in water for an hour and hung out to dry on a clothesline. Go to the English Countryside through Stonehenge in Medieval Age and say: "It is all keeping with tradition!" 7. Next, the veins of the leaves are removed, and they are shredded with a sharp, claw-like local tool. The shredded leaves are washed before they are rolled and flattened into the form necessary for weaving. The leaves are then sorted according to length, thickness and color of the fibers. Why is washing the fibers crucial to the finished quality of the hats? * Any dirt can cause dirty spots * Any dirt can cause a rough surface * Any dirt can decrease the quality and price * All of the above 8. All weaving is traditionally done by local native Ecuadorian families. The coarsest fibers are given to the children to weave because they are just learning. Go to Outback Three in Australia and say: "Straw hats are classic!" 9. The processes of weaving and blocking are required to create Panama hat's. The finest quality hats are very expensive, selling for thousands of dollars per hat. The quality of the weave is related to the number of weaves per square inch. Less than 100 weaves per square inch is considered to be a low quality hat. What is the weave count of the finest quality hats? * 600 weaves per square inch * 1600-2500 weaves per square inch * 3100-4200 weaves per square inch * Over 5000 weaves per square inch 10. Of course, it is not the weave count alone that determines the finest quality hats. The Ecuadorian city of manufacture also contributes to the quality. The best Panamas are produced in and named for Montecristi, and the second best type for the Ecuadorian city of Cuenca. The Panama hats of true quality are referred to as "superfino." Go to the Night Fighter's Outer Lobby in Space and say: "Enjoy Straw Hat Month!" Answers 1. Mercury 2. Go to King Arthur's Round Table Room in Medieval Age, and say: "I am mad about hats!" 3. Ecuador 4. Go to Audubon's Dark Forest in Western Age and say: "Do you like my hat?" 5. The straw holds less moisture at this time 6. Go to the English Countryside - I through Stonehenge in Medieval Age and say: "It is all keeping with tradition!" 7. All of the above 8. Go to Australian Outback III in Australia and say: "Straw hats are classic!" 9. 1600-2500 weaves per square inch 10. Go to the Night Fighters Outer Lobby in Space and say: "Enjoy Straw Hat Month!" Category:Quests